How to Expand Your Instagram Market

When it comes to expanding your market via Instagram, it’s going to take some trial and error.

Instagram was new when I first started coaching. I had no idea how it worked, but I liked the pretty filters, so I ran with it!

I am a very visual person. Having Instagram as a tool to search and explore through tags is totally my jam (like Pinterest). To be able to put in a keyword and find a variety of images to match my search… just my style! The great thing is, there are tons of others like that, too! They are out there, waiting on you to post just what they are looking for!

Figuring out how to truly maximize every Instagram post will take some time. Luckily, I’m here to help with a few key tips.

Know who you want to reach and who you want to see your content.

Instagram is all about the eye-catching images. This means you want to post images that are going to attract the people who you want to see your content. Be super specific in who you are, the types of people you want to enjoy what you’re putting out there, as well as what kind of images this market wants to see. 

What actions do you want your market to take? Are they coming to your page for tips, motivation, recipes, to purchase something? Be clear on why people will come to your site.

Who are you?

Ever heard of the term your vibe attracts your tribe? That’s a critical way of thinking when it comes to Instagram! Show what you want to attract.

Let’s do a little exercise.

Create an imaginary box. That little box is exactly where you want to stay when it comes to your Instagram feed. Within that box is everything you want from your target market. For instance, my “box” is full of moms in their mid-30s. Most likely, they are moms of boys. They live in the suburbs, spending the majority of their free time at their kids’ sporting events. These women are searching for motivation to become the healthiest version of themselves. They also struggle with meal planning and are looking for extra guidance with that. Whenever you post on Instagram, stay within that box! Think about what you want to give and what you want to gain through your posts. That is the content you should be making available.

Remember:

• Facebook is your photo album – this is where I’m putting up countless pictures of the boys, photos of my team, snapshots from events I attend. This paints the whole picture.
• Instagram is the showcase – this is where you put the title to the photo album. You want an image that’s going to draw your market to you. A snapshot of the bigger picture.

 

Instagram is very visual. Make sure your images are visually pleasing.

Aesthetic photos are crucial when it comes to attraction marketing on Instagram.

Within your account, consider what you want to promote.

• Is it consistent with your message and brand? If I’m over here talking about healthy alternatives, it would not make sense to make a random post showcasing a slice of greasy pizza. Showcase what your audience wants to see.
• Are your photos clear? Best practices: do not use the forward facing camera for Instagram photos. They turn out grainy! Invest in a tripod, work with positioning, and set yourself up in a space with a nice background and good lighting. Close-up and clear photos get engagement.
• Do you photos have a theme? I’m not talking about who you’re marketing to, either. Instagram users love consistency with what they are viewing. Stick with the same color pattern and filter(s).
• Is your profile bold? Your profile is a great way to be specific about who you want to reach. Do not put that you are a Beachbody Coach. Be specific about you.
  • Also, please do not put a direct link to your Beachbody sales page in your profile. This comes across as too forced. Best practice is to put a link for them to contact you (e-mail, blog, Facebook page). This way, they can get to know the whole you, and you can start building that relationship!
• Are you overthinking it? Get your content out there and be consistent with it! Ideally, you want to post 3x/day at various times. Be you and talk about what you love. Don’t overcomplicated it. Simply find things to talk about, snap a pretty photo of the subject/idea, and make it available!

 

 

Engagement can make or break your success on Instagram.

Have you ever seen those accounts with several thousands of followers, yet no one is ever really interacting? Then there are other accounts with several hundred or a couple thousand followers who are tons of likes and comments? What brings forward that it factor? Engagement from you! 

It’s called social media for a reason – you need to be social!

When people comment, respond to them! Reinforce their positive behavior and thank them for participating with you!

So how do you get people to start commenting and becoming engaged? Ask the so what? question to yourself with each post. What are you trying to bring to the table? Are you eliciting a response? What are you saying that is going to get your followers to take action? Are you trying to teach them something? Or are you wanting to motivate or inspire them? If you were a follower, what would make you want to interact with your posts?

Take action NOW!

Finally, be sure to do audits of your page to see what’s working and what isn’t! Stop overthinking it and getting bogged down with analysis paralysis.

If you are still trying to figure out how it all works, look to Google and YouTube to find tips that are relevant to the current year. Implement what you’ve learned, as well as make adjustments based on your own audits, and set yourself up to grown authentically and organically due to be being niche specific.

If you realize something isn’t working for you, do a minor adjustment to see if that could be the game changer for you. It’s ok to make a mistake. Just figure yourself out – who you are and what you want to bring to the world – and start! Put your energy and effort into a concentrated place.

 

Be sure to tune into Business Tip Tuesday at 10AM EST every Tuesday at Melanie Mitro and catch the full recording below!